Bleed Again

Momentum

My first experience with Worthing metal quintet, Bleed Again came at the end of 2014 when they impressively opened for metalcore act Darkest Hour. Since then, Bleed Again have gained mass popularity along the South of the United Kingdom, pulling in support slots for the likes of SOiL and Feed The Rhino. A highlight of their performing career was then they drew one of the best crowds and responses at Mammothfest 2016, one which was only bettered by metal legends Venom Inc all weekend. May 1st saw the release of Bleed Again’s debut album, “Momentum” through Sliptrick Records, an album which has created mass hype over the last year during the recording process.

The Worthing five-piece combines the brutality of death metal with the raw ferocity of metalcore, drawing a direct influence from the sound that flooded the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene in the early 2000s. Think of the perfect mix of Chimaira, As I Lay Dying, Killswitch Engage and Trivium. And, while the previous releases have shown glimpses of what Bleed Again can produce, “Momentum” surprises us all with how much the band has grown in just a couple of years.

Opening with “Decimate”, the band’s heaviest song to date, we are treated to vocalist, James Dawson’s throaty shouts placed on top of the most crushing riffs Bleed Again have ever delivered. The guitarists throw in a combination of earth shattering breakdowns with some great headbanging grooves. The opener certainly wakes you up. The follow-up, “Walk Through The Fire” then shows the band’s anthemic value with one of the most captivating choruses in metal I’ve heard in a while, not forgetting the "woooahh" chants at the beginning. The song is still heavy, but a lot more melodic in comparison with some great fiddly guitar hooks and clean vocals from the bassist, Jonathan Liffen. The breakdowns come in strong towards the end and there is a mass shout-out of “WALK THROUGH THE FIRE”.

“Legacy” then takes us to the softest song that the Worthing lads have written. Calming melodies take control of the song, with what sounds like a layer of violins subtly in the background. Whiney solo guitar hooks match with Liffen’s cleans take us on an epic adventure, while Dawson’s throaty shouts add a subtle angst. “Slavery” is a pure Killswitch Engage copycat song, from the opening grooves to the melody structure within the clean and harsh vocals. I could easily imagine Howard Jones singing the vocals of this song. A couple of older tracks in the form of “Drowning In Dreams” and “Icarus”, both from the Bleed Again self-titled EP make an appearance. This is great purely for the same anthemic value as “Walk Through The Fire”, both of them have great sing along choruses that go down well with crowds as sure fan favourites.

The stand out track on the album is “Through My Eyes” which takes the anthemic nature to the next level with subtle “ooweeoo” chants at the beginning of the song that leads into more crunchy riffs that infectiously make you want to headbang with the dominant double pedal drums adding a monster effect. Those chants make more of an impact in the bridge as they crescendo, leading into an ear-pricking tapping guitar solo. The “OOWWEEOO” chants epically end at the forefront of the song as the album closes around it, music getting quieter until only a mass of voices remains. Having seen a whole venue chant this, it’s one of those moments that makes the hairs on your arms stand on their ends.

I came into this album expecting good things, I never quite expected an album this good. While the main metalcore vibe is still the stand out feature on most of the release. Bleed Again have shown more depth with “Momentum”, showing newer influences by getting heavier and softer in their songwriting. With this album, the Worthing lads have revealed great potential on their debut release, leaving an album with the similar calibre to Bury Tomorrow’s earlier albums.